There exist various techniques and systems for producing stereoscopic images. One type of approach uses triangulation methods to measure geometric attributes of an object in a scene for extracting depth information of the object. Another type of approach uses various scanning mechanism for measuring the time of flight so as to obtain the depth information of the object. Regardless of the method used, a key technique in three-dimensional imaging systems or stereoscopic imaging systems is the surface profile of the object or the depth information of the pixels at the surface of the object (hereafter the depth information). Once the surface profile or the depth information is obtained, a stereoscopic image of the object can be reconstructed.
Various techniques and devices for capturing surface profiles or depth information have been proposed. These techniques can be very costly, and the devices very large and not convenient for portability. As the drive for techniques and systems capable of stereoscopic imaging constantly grows in many industrial fields, the demand for cost-efficient and compact devices capable of capturing surface profile or depth information of objects likewise continually increases.